Implement foe holding open -shoes



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JOI-IN ALLENDER, OF NEV LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPLEMENT FOR HOLDING OPEN SI-IOES, BAGS, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent 1\To.` 19,284, dated February 9i, 1858.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN ALLENDER, of thecity and county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful apparatus for holding shoes and other coverings for thefeet and legs while the foot is inserted and for holding sacks and othersimilar articles and for other purposes; and I do hereby declare thatthe same is described and represented in the following specications anddrawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and some of its uses, referring tothe drawings in which the same letters indicate like parts in each ofthe figures.

Figure 1, is an elevation of my apparatus with a shoe upon itrepresented in dotted lines. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of theapparatus.

The nature of the apparatus which I have invented for holding shoes,sacks and other articles consists in a pair of forceps with one jawprovided with a plate for the inside of the shoe, sack or article to beheld open; and the other jaw carrying two arms; one to clamp the shoesack or other article against the first mentioned jaw or plate upon it;and the other arm carrying a bar or plate to spread the opening in theshoe, sack or other article. Also in making the arm that spreads theopening in the shoe sack or other article adjustable, so that theforceps or apparatus may be adapted to shoes and sacks of various sizes.

In the accompanying drawings A, is one part of a pair of forceps, with ajaw B, carrying a crooked arm, to which the curved plate C, is fastened,which plate has its top edge turned over as shown at D, so as to comeover the top of the shoe, sack or other article to which the instrumentis applied when used. E, is the other part of the forceps connected tothe part A, by the rivet F, which forms the fulcrum. The jaw of the partE is provided with a crooked arm G, so constructed and arranged as topress a por` tion of the shoe, sack or other article against the arm orcurved plate C, and clamp it, so as to hold it fast when the forceps areclosed as shown in Fig. l, of the drawings. The

of the part E, is enlarged and perforated at I-I, to receive the curvedbar I, which is provided with a crooked arm J, to which the curved plateK, is fastened to hold the front of the shoe, or sack or other articleto which the apparatus is applied. The parts or handles A, and E, areprovided with a spring catch L, near their outer ends to hold themtogether when closed; a portion of the spring catch projects through thehandle A, so that it may be released with facility.

This apparatus may be so constructed as to adapt it to shoes, sacks orsuch other articles as it is desirous to use it for. The apparatus shownin the drawing is designed to spread the opening in india rubber shoesor Congress boots, so that the foot may be inserted with facility. Toinsert it in the shoe or boot, release the spring catch, and spread thehandles A, and E, so as to bring the plates C, and K, so near togetherthat they may be slipped into the shoe readily thereafter inserting themclose to the handles, so as to draw the plates apart and spread theopening in the shoe, when the spring catch will hold the handlestogether, and the shoe open, until the foot is inserted; when the catchL should be released, and the plates drawn out leaving the shoe on thefoot. When the handles were closed, to spread the shoe, the arm G, wasbrought against that portion of the shoe upon the plate C, and clampedit fast to the plate, so as to hold it firm while the shoe is beingdrawn` onto the foot. The plate K is turned over at the top M, as shownin Fig. 1, to prevent the top of the shoe from slipping up over theplate K. The curved bar I, is arranged to traverse so as to adapt theapparatus to shoes of different sizes, and may be fastened in posit-ionrequired by' the thumb screw N. I contemplate that when my apparatus isused to hold open inelastic sacks that a spring may be applied to pressthe bar I through the jaw and hold the sack open without tearing it. Thescrew N, being turned back to release the bar I, and allow it totraverse.

I believe I have described the apparatus which I have invented forholding shoes, sacks and other articles so as to enable any personskilled in the art to make and use it. I will now state what I desire tosecure by Letters Patent, to wit:

I claiml. A pair of forceps with one jaw provided with a plate, for theinside of a shoe, sack or other article, the other jaw carrying twoarms, one to clamp the shoe sack or other article against the firstmentioned jaw or plate upon it, and the other arm carscribed, so thatthe forceps or apparatus n lay be adapted t0 shoes and sacks of Va- 10rying a bar or plate, to spread the opening in nous sizes.

the shoe, sack or other article substantially as described.

2. I also claim making the bar that carries the arm that spreads theshoe sack or other article adjustable substantially as de- JOHNALLENDER.

Witnesses:

S. A. BAILEY, CHAS. H. TISDALE.

